Effects of Laughter Yoga in Mothers of PICU Patients

NCT07340229 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: IDU-NURSING-SD-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of laughter yoga on resilience and coping attitudes in mothers of children hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit. Mothers whose children had been hospitalized for at least one week were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. The intervention group participated in structured laughter yoga sessions lasting 15-20 minutes over 3-4 days, while the control group received routine care. Psychological resilience and coping attitudes were assessed using standardized measurement tools. The study aimed to provide evidence for a brief, non-pharmacological intervention to support maternal psychological well-being in PICU settings.

Conditions

Laughter Yoga

Keywords

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit; Resilience; Coping Skills; Family Centered Nursing; Laughter Therapy; Laughter

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale

  The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) was originally developed by Connor and Davidson (2003), subsequently shortened to 10 items by Campbell-Sills and Stein (2007), and adapted to Turkish by Sarıçam (2010). The scale is scored using a five-point Likert-type format (0-4), with higher total scores indicating greater resilience. In the Turkish validity and reliability study, the scale was reported to have a single-factor structure with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.81. In the present study, Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.79 for the pre-test and 0.80 for the post-test.

  Six months

• Coping Attitudes Assessment Scale

  The scale was originally developed by Carver et al. (1989) and adapted into Turkish by Dicle and Ersanlı (2015). The adapted version consists of 32 items and 5 subscales: Self-Help, Approach, Adaptation, Avoidance-Escape, and Self-Punishment. Items are rated on a four-point Likert-type scale, with higher total scores indicating more effective coping attitudes. In the Turkish validity and reliability study, the overall internal consistency coefficient was reported as 0.97, with Cronbach's alpha values for the subscales ranging from 0.96 to 0.99. In the present study, the overall internal consistency of the scale was 0.78 in the pre-test and 0.81 in the post-test, while Cronbach's alpha values for the subscales ranged between 0.79 and 0.82.

  six months

Study Arms (2)

Laughter Yoga Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Mothers in the intervention group participated in structured laughter yoga sessions lasting 15-20 minutes, conducted over a period of 3-4 days.

Behavioral: Laughter Yoga

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

The control group received routine care only.

Interventions

Laughter Yoga BEHAVIORAL

Mothers in the intervention group participated in structured laughter yoga sessions lasting 15-20 minutes, conducted over a period of 3-4 days.

Laughter Yoga Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Mothers aged 18 years or older
• Ability to read and speak Turkish
• Having a child hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for at least one week
• Access to basic communication tools (telephone and/or internet)
• No previous participation in laughter yoga or a similar intervention

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of a clinically diagnosed severe psychiatric disorder
• Having a child who was terminally ill or clinically unstable
• Participation deemed inappropriate by the attending physician

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Izmir Democracy University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital

Izmir, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Laughter

Interventions

Laughter Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nonverbal Communication; Communication; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: A total of 40 mothers were randomly assigned to either the laughter yoga group (n = 20) or control group (n = 20).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 2, 2026
• First Posted: January 14, 2026
• Study Start: May 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: July 30, 2025
• Study Completion: October 30, 2025
• Last Updated: January 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)